IHS Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the IHS exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
IHS exam key facts
- Candidates get 120 minutes to complete the IHS International Licensing Examination (ILE). Source
- The IHS International Licensing Examination (ILE) uses a recommended passing score on a raw (number-correct) scale that can change between test forms, and candidates are told only whether they passed or failed. Source
- The IHS International Licensing Examination (ILE) costs $260 USD, plus applicable taxes, and is paid by credit or debit card when the candidate schedules the exam. Source
- Retake rules for the IHS International Licensing Examination (ILE) are set by each state or provincial licensing agency, and the Test Completion email explains what to do next if a retake is needed. Source
📋 IHS Exam Format at a Glance
📚 IHS Topics to Study (49)
✍️ Sample IHS Questions & Answers
1. When using a syringe to inject impression material, the nozzle should be positioned:
Starting at the otoblock and withdrawing as the material fills prevents air pockets from being trapped behind the material as it is injected.
2. Reverberation time (RT60) is defined as the time required for sound pressure level to decrease by:
RT60 is the time it takes for the sound energy in a room to decay by 60 dB once the sound source ceases.
3. The helicotrema is located:
The helicotrema is the small opening at the cochlear apex where the scala vestibuli and scala tympani communicate.
4. What does the term 'open fit' refer to in hearing aid technology?
Open fit hearing aids use a thin tube or receiver wire with a small dome that leaves the ear canal largely unoccluded, reducing the occlusion effect.
5. A patient who works in a noisy manufacturing environment with hearing loss should be counseled that the primary purpose of hearing protection in that setting is to:
Hearing protection in high-noise workplaces primarily prevents additional noise-induced threshold shift, not to improve communication.
6. A patient presents with a completely occluded ear canal due to cerumen, but reports a history of ear surgery with a mastoid bowl. The most appropriate action is to:
A history of ear surgery creating a mastoid bowl significantly increases the risk of complications during cerumen removal. This is a contraindication for in-office removal by a hearing instrument specialist, and the patient should be referred to a physician or otolaryngologist.
🎯 Free IHS Practice Tests
📖 IHS Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for IHS
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length IHS mock exam — 115 questions in 120 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed IHS question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable IHS cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- IHS flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free IHS practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- ihsinfo.org — Time limit, test delivery, eligibility, fees, retake policy · verified Oct 2026
- myhome.ihsinfo.org — Passing score, retake fee · verified Oct 2026